SP - SECURITY POLICE

Fall 2007

SP is a drama about professional bodyguards called security police. Their sole purpose is to protect VIPs and in the most dire of circumstances become "human shields" to defend them from harm. In the 21st century, terrorism has become a global threat. Not even Japan is exempt from this menace. SP's play a crucial role in anticipating unforeseen circumstances, but they are not well equipped to deal with new challenges. Enter Kaoru Inoue (Junichi Okada), an SP rookie with unusually strong senses to detect danger. Joining Soichiro Ogata (Shinichi Tsutsumi) and his loyal team, they fight to stop any destructive force before it's too late.

Recommendation: I picked this drama because I just watched "Oyaji!" and I remember Junichi Okada being a pretty good actor. I realized he's been laying a little low in the drama universe for a while which is a shame because he can play action roles well. Unfortunately, this drama is not as easy to sum up as I first thought it might be. The reason is because there are some really good things I liked about this drama, but there are also aspects of the drama that I just downright despised. The story is definitely interesting and a relevant one. I liked the idea a lot. The acting was also descent, but not anything to highly praise about. From there, I just have to say that everything else was sub-par. This drama associates with the phrase, "style over substance" perfectly. The screen shots and action sequences are fast and flashy, but when it comes to editing the story, there are cracks and holes so numerous that I grew indifferent to the plot and characters.
Just some examples, but there are scenes in the drama that I thought were sloppily presented. In episode 6, Shoichi Ohashi is being protected in a hotel room by the SP's and he purposefully spills orange juice on his pants. He goes back into the bedroom pretending to change his clothes when he escapes. My first thought was, how did he escape? There is no door to the hallway from the bedroom and he clearly didn't escape through the living room. And even if he did escape from the bedroom, why didn't any of the SP's ever think of guarding that entrance?
Again in episode 6, there is a scene that looks like Ohashi is poisoned in the shower after swimming in the pool. I disliked this scene because when I first watched it, it looked like it actually happened. There are too many of these dire/tragic scenes that end up being part of the sensitive imagination of Inoue.
Another strange issue that came up was in the very first episode when Inoue fought with the bald, knife wielding terrorist and arrested him. Ohashi said that Inoue was the first ever SP to arrest a terrorist and they are not supposed to do so. Well, if that's the case, why do they even carry handcuffs in the first place?
Those were just a couple of examples of sloppy editing/directing, but the sin of all sins in action scenes are the ones where the shooter, be it the protagonist or antagonist, has multiple chances to make a kill and instead decides to make small talk like they're in the middle of an important conversation on a nice sunny afternoon over a cup of tea and biscuits. Seriously, these scenes must seriously go. I'm so fed up and tired of them because they are a put off. The last episode during the assassination attempt of the prime minister symbolizes this issue and that is where I put my foot down and just couldn't give this drama a higher rating.
The drama overall did well in terms of ratings. A special and a couple movies were completed afterwards, but if you're like me who tends to look at the details, this drama will ultimately frustrate you. I also didn't like the fact that the SPs work as a team, but there wasn't a huge emphasis on character building. Yamamoto, Ishida, and Sasamoto were like pawns/fillers and I could care less about what happened to them even though they all survived in the end. Maybe that's why the comedic moments between them didn't really work for me.
Overall, if you like Junichi Okada or even Shinichi Tsutsumi, and you're into action dramas, I recommend this one. It's fast paced and I finished it quickly because there is a lot of filler in the beginning, and the ending credits are also long after each episode. But if you are looking for something smart and sophisticated you will only be shaking your head. If I only had Inoue's heightened senses, I may have avoided this one!

Story: 1.0
Acting: 0.5
Directing: 0.5
Character Development: 0.5
Emotional Factor:  0.5

3.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns